National Signing Day surprises could be coming

Atlantic DT Keith Bryant enjoys keeping everyone guessing

Atlantic's Keith Bryant is undecided on his college plans, and has… (Scott Fisher )

January 19, 2013|By Steve Gorten, Sun Sentinel

With National Signing Day less than three weeks away, Atlantic High defensive tackle Keith Bryant remains a recruiting mystery.

He likes it that way.

"It's good to keep people on their toes and keep them guessing," said Bryant, who verbally committed to Miami last January and then decommitted from the Hurricanes last month.

The 6-foot-2, 300-pound senior All-American wants to keep everyone in suspense, which is why he will wait until Feb. 6 at 1:30 p.m. to announce his college decision live on ESPN. But also because, he said, he wants more time to sort out his feelings while taking his final three official visits these final three weekends before Signing Day.

"It's a big mix-up," he said, adding that he's "very wide open" and four or five schools, including UM, have a legitimate shot at him. "Anything can happen."

National Signing Day features surprises every year, with some recruits making up, or changing, their mind the morning they sign their binding national letter-of-intent. Will Bryant, University School receiver Jordan Cunningham, South Plantation running back Alex Collins or Northeast receiver Stacy Coley — all highly rated prospects who remain verbally uncommitted — provide a surprise this year?

Or will it be a prospect who has already committed — once, twice, or in the case of Seminole Ridge defensive tackle Kyle Shortridge, three times?

"That's always the hardest question to answer every year," said ESPN recruiting analyst Jamie Newberg. "Everybody wants to know what the surprises will be."

Last year, one of the nation's most notable surprises was Miramar cornerback Tracy Howard signing with Miami after heavily favoring Florida in the final weeks.

"The night before, literally, was the actual change of heart," Howard's high school coach, Damon Cogdell, recalled this week.

West Boca linebacker Jawand Blue switched on Signing Day last year, decommitting from Virginia Tech and inking with Miami after the Hurricanes found themselves with an available scholarship to offer when one of their commitments, Reggie Northrup, signed with Florida State.

Two years ago, Boyd Anderson defensive back Demar Dorsey spurned FSU and UF and stunningly signed with Michigan.

"It was a lot of fun surprising everyone," Dorsey said at the time. "Everyone was trying to figure out what school I was going to. Everyone thought it would be Florida or Florida State. No one knew about Michigan."

Newberg said Collins or Coley could surprise some people with their decision.

In Coley's case, "Most people think it's going to be Florida State, but it will be a surprise if it's Cincinnati or Ole Miss, and to some it might even be a surprise if he stays at home and goes to Miami," Newberg noted.

Cunningham, who coach Roger Harriott says decided as a sophomore he would wait until Signing Day to announce so his teammates could benefit from the increased publicity that day, is another who has a handful of finalists to choose from.

"There's been rumors about him preferring Stanford, but those are just rumors," Harriott said. "You never know which one he's going to pick at the end of the day. There could be a big surprise."

"Because of his history? You never know, man," he said, but added he expects Bain to remain firm in his commitment to LSU.

Shortridge insists there will be no surprise with him. "Nah. I'm definitely going to Louisville, [to whom he committed last month]." He initially committed to Wake Forest in July, then decommitted one week later. He dropped his second commitment, to Purdue, after coach Danny Hope was fired.

Shortridge said this week he would have signed with Purdue if Hope had been retained, but also noted: "I like Louisville more than I ever did Purdue."

Why even commit a second, and consequently third time, after admittedly rushing to make his first commitment? Shortridge said he considered waiting until Signing Day, "but it seems like schools are starting to fill up [with commitments], so I didn't want to lose Louisville."

He added: "It's been pretty hard making the decision of choosing a school this late, but the best school stuck out at the end."

Shortridge said he's seen himself criticized on the Internet for switching commitments, but that it doesn't bother him. He repeatedly referred to the recruiting process as "a business." He has one official visit remaining, and said some schools, Kentucky in particular, keep encouraging him to visit. He won't, he said.

As for Bryant, ranked the nation's 14th best prospect at his position by ESPN.com and 17th best by Rivals.com, the courting continues.

"After I committed [to Miami last year], it actually picked up," he said of recruiting. "Why not push harder? I am the best defensive tackle in the Class of 2013. It's only right to push harder for me."

Who's still in the mix for him? Who really knows?

Bryant told the Sun Sentinel on Wednesday night that he would visit Miami this weekend, Tennessee next weekend and either Alabama or LSU the final weekend before Signing Day. Later, he tweeted that South Carolina might also be a possibility for that final weekend, ending his tweet with "...decisions, decisions."

When he announced on Twitter that his signing ceremony would be televised on ESPN, he included the hash tag "SemiCockVolCane" — an obvious abbreviation for Seminoles, Gamecocks, Volunteers and Hurricanes. Later that day, he tweeted "SemiVolCaneTiger."

On Signing Day, he said, he'll choose one of three ballcaps. Go ahead: take a guess which.